Automobile.



No. 662,030. Patented NOvQ 20,- I900. n. L. SAUERHERING. AUTOMOBILE.

(Application filed June 4, 1909. (No Model.) 7

Ncnms PEYERS c0.. Pumaumm WASMNGTQM b. c.

ilnrrn TATES DOUGLAS L. SAUERHERING, OF WAUSAU, WISCONSIN.

AUTOMOBILE.

$PEOIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,030, dated November20, 1900.

Application filed June 4. 1900. Serial No. 18.957- 'No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS L. SAUERHER-- en ce being bad to the accompanying drawings,

which are a part of this specification.

*The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction inautomobiles which involves alight but strong frame and mounting thereof,capable of being built at a minimum of expense, arranged to support theload above and directly on the rear or traction wheels with suchflexibility of parts as to secure the greatestease of the load on thewheels and the highest comfort to the users thereof, with capability ofready and easy manipulation, and other advantages incidental to theimproved construction.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation ofan automobilecontainingmyimproved construction. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of theimproved automobile, the box or body being omitted, some parts brokenaway, and the steering-post being in section. Fig. 3 is an elevation ofthe front end of the frame.

The frame of the automobile is preferably constructed chiefly of steeltubing, formed advisably in substantially the shape shown in thedrawings, though Ido not wish to confine my invention to the specificform of the frame otherwise than herein stated. The main portion of theframe, on which the load of the vehicle is intended chiefly to rest,consists of the tubular side bars 5 5, connected together at the rear bythe transverse bar 6 and at the front by the transverse bar 7, the sidebars being made furcate and spread laterally medially, as shown at 8 8.This construction of the side bars provides a longitudinal elongatedspace in the side bars, Within which the supporting traction-wheels 9 9are located, the wheels being mounted revolubly in the frame on shortaxles 10 10, journaled, respectively, at their ends in the adjacent bars8 8. Trusses 11 11 are secured at their ends to the side bars 5 5 infront and at the rear of the furcate bars 8 8 and curved upwardlytherefrom over the wheels 9 9. Upright fork members 12 12, rigid attheir lower furcate ends to the furcate bars 8 8, opposite the bearingsof the axles i0 10, extend upwardly therefrom over the wheels and aresecured to the trusses ll 11 and support them medially; also,preferably, fore-and-aft straps 13 13 are secured to the rails 6 and 7at distances apart and strengthen the construction. A cross-strap 14 mayalso be employed connecting the inner furcate bar 8 at one side of theframe to the inner furcate bar at the other side of the frame.

ForWardly-extending side bars 15 15 are secured at their rear ends,respectively, to the side bars 5 5 and to the trusses 11 11 and at theirfront ends are secured to short vertical posts 17 17, to which areaffixed conveniently by tubular collars two parallel front crossbars 1818. The forwardly-extending side bars 15 and 15 may be connectedtogether and the construction strengthened by braces 19 19. Directlybelow the cross-bars 18 18 two other cross-bars 2O 20, disposed oneabove the other, are secured together medially by a tie-strap 21, andthis tie-strap 21 at its upper end, just above the bar 20, is pivoted toa tiestrap 22, secured to the cross-bars 18 18. Links 16 16, hinged tothe extremities of the cross-bar 20, are also hinged to the forward siderails 15 conveniently by clips around the side rails. The constructionpermits of the oscillation of the cross-bars 20 20 and of the cross-bars18 18 with reference to each other. The stems of the front-wheel posts23 23 are mounted rotatably in the extremities of the cross-bars 20 20,and these cross-bars 20 20, with the strap 21, form the frontswheelframe. The front wheels 24 24 are axledin the lower extremities of thefurcate portions of the wheel-posts 23.

On the frame a body or box 25 is mounted, the rear portion beingsupported on springs 26, that are advisably of the elongated ellipticalform supported at their ends on the cross-bars 6 and 7 and on which thebox 25 rests medially. At its front end the box is supported by hangers27 27, preferably slightly elastic, attached at their front ends to thetransverse bar 18 of the frame and at their rear ends to the box. Thisconstruction permits of the up-and-down movement of the rear portion ofthe box, on which the load is principally placed. In the drawings twoseats are shown on the box, one seat-facing toward the front and theother toward the rear. The seats are so located that when occupied bypersons riding thereon the load will be almost directly over the axlesof the wheels 9, although the division between the front and the rearseat is preferably a little at the front of the vertical plane of theaxles.

For driving the traction-wheels 9, and thus compelling the forward orback travel of the automobile, a driving-shaft 29 is journaled in theframe a little in front of the wheels 9, and this shaft is connected tothe axle 10 by sprocket-chains 29, running on sprocket wheels on theshaft and on the axles. Another sprocket-wheel 30 on the shaft 28 isadapted to receive a sprocket-chain thereon that shall run to a shaft inconnection with and driven by a motor mounted on the automobile, themotor being preferably located in the box 25 under the seats thereon.The motor is not shown in the drawings.

For guiding the automobile a steering-post 31 is mounted revolubly onthe cross-bars 18 18 centrally conveniently by means of a sleeve orjournal-box bearing that is secured directly to the bars 18 18', and acrank-arm 32, fixed on the steering-post, is pivoted at its extremity toa shifting-bar 33, the lateral extremities of whichare pivoted tocrank-arms 34 34,affixed toand projecting from the wheelposts 23. Asteering-post handle 35 is pivoted in the steering-post at its upper endand is adapted to be swung from side to side by the person in charge ofthe automobile, thus shifting the front wheels and giving direction tothe travel of the automobile.

What I claim as my invention is-- 1. In an automobile, a light strongframe constructed chiefly of metal tubing including tubular furcate sidebars straddling and near to the traction-wheels, traction-wheelsseverally axled in the side bars, and tubular trusses secured to saidside bars at the front and at the rear of the wheels and extending inthe vertical planes of the wheels in an are over the wheels 2. In anautomobile, a light strong frame constructed chiefly of metal tubingincluding tubular furcate side bars straddling the traction-wheels,traction-wheels severally axled in the side bars, tubular trussessecured to said side bars at the front and at the rear of the wheels andextending in the vertical planes of the wheels in an are over thewheels, and tubular upright forked members secured at their furcateendsto the furcate members of the side bars substantially at the locality ofthe axle-bearings and extending thence upwardly to and supporting thetrusses.

3. An automobile-frame, comprising side bars 5, 5, cross-bars 6, 7trusses 11, 11 on the side bars over the wheels, other side bars 15, 15extending forwardly from the first-mentioned side bars and the trusses,posts 17, 17 to which the forward side bars are fixed, and parallelfront cross-bars 18, 18 secured to the posts.

4. In combination, a rigid automobileframe, traction-wheels on which therear portion of the frame is mounted, a front-wheel frame comprising aplurality of cross-bars secured centrally to each other and hinged tothe rigid frame so as to be capable of oscillation in a substantiallyvertical plane, wheelposts mounted rotatably in the extremities of thecross-bars, and front guiding-wheels axled in the forks of thewheel-posts.

5. In combination, a rigid automobileframe, traction-wheels on which therear portion of the frame is mounted, a front-wheel frame comprising aplurality of cross-bars secured centrally to each other and hinged tothe rigid frame so as to be capable ofoscillation in a substantiallyvertical plane, hinged links 16 connecting the lateral extremities ofthe front-wheel frame to the rigid frame preventing forward or rearwardmovement of the wheel-frame relative to the rigid frame.

6. In combination in an automobile, a rigid frame, traction-wheelssupporting the rear portion of the frame, a front-wheel frame comprisinga plurality of cross-bars secured centrally to each other and hinged tothe rigid frame so as to be capable of substantially verticaloscillation, hinged links 16 connecting the lateral extremities of thefront-wheel frame to the rigid frame, wheel-posts mounted rotatablyinthe extremities of the cross-bars, wheels axled in the forks of thewheel-posts, a steering-post rotatable on the frame and provided with acrank-handle, and a wheelshifting bar pivoted on crank-arms on thefront-wheel posts and to a crank on the steering-post.

7. In combination in an automobile, arigid frame, a body or box, elastichangers extending toward front and rear and secured at their front endsto the rigid frame and at their rear extremities to the box by which thebox at its front end is connected to and supported yieldingly on theframe, and springs on the frame by and on which the box is supportedyieldingly at its rear.

8. In an automobile, the combination of a rigid frame, traction-wheelseach having a short axle by which the wheels are severally mounted intheframe, a single driving-shaft extending transversely entirely acrossthe frame, and sprocket-chains running severally on a wheel on thedriving-shaft and on the axle of a traction-wheel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DOUGLAS L. SAUEBHERING. \Vitnesses:

LEON W. DAVIS, LOUIS lVIARCI-IETII.

